These Three Things We Know

As John closes his first epistle, He assures the reader of three things we know...beyond any doubt, with complete assurance, we know and can trust these three things.  The third of these is found in verse 20:

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One.  We are in the true One - that is, in His Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life.

From this verse we know...

I. Messiah has come – vs. 20a

Jews had been waiting for centuries…Still, they wait for the long-promised Messiah.  Believers know…No more waiting! He has come.

John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and took up residence among us.  We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Truly, the Messiah has been here and left already. Hebrews 4:14: “He has passed through the heavens…”  They missed Him then, and many are missing Him today!

Do you know Him? Do you believe and confess that the Messiah, Jesus, has come into the world?

Why did He come?  Certainly to fulfill prophecy; but is there more? Why did Jesus come to earth? What did He accomplish by coming to earth?

We know…

II. Messiah has come and given us understanding – vs. 20b

understanding – is more than facts; knowledge is facts.  Understanding is the ability to correctly put the facts together, to interpret the knowledge – the meaning of the facts – and apply in daily life.

More than just knowing some facts, understanding impacts living!

So what did Jesus help us understand?  John says He came… “so that we may know the true God.”

Get this: Jesus came to help us not just know some facts about God; but so we would correctly put those facts together, interpret their meaning, and change our lives! He came so we could – think about this – so that, through the understanding He gives us, we could know God!

Through Jesus we can know God. Not just know about Him; but know Him, intimately, personally, totally.  For God chose to reveal Himself to us through Jesus.  Jesus said: “See Me, see the Father; know Me, know the Father;” and, “I and the Father are One.”  Elsewhere, it is written of Him: “He is the radiance of His glory, the exact expression of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:3a).

When the Messiah came among us, He gave us understanding so that we could know God.

Third, We know…

III. Messiah has come and reconciled us to God – vs. 20c

We are born sinners. Our sin separates us from God. An impassable barrier keeps all sinners away from Him, now and for eternity. That barrier is our sin; our unrighteousness.

What Jesus did was take our sin upon Himself on the cross; take our unrighteousness. He replaced it with His holy, Godly, perfect righteousness. So now, we can approach God; not as our judge, but as our Father!  We are in God – part of the family, invited to sit at the family table, to interact with the Father of the Family. Protected and preserved by the Father.

No longer a part of the world, we are now royalty in glory! No longer dead, we have abundant life now, and eternal life in Heaven.

We have this access – this change – because of the Messiah. We are in God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus did this for us!  Jesus accomplished this reconciliation because He is God: “I and the Father are one.”  John says of Jesus: “He is the true God and eternal life.”

We know…
The Messiah has come!
He has given us understanding!
He has reconciled us to God!

Through Jesus we know God; we are “in” God; and, we have eternal life!

One day Peter and John were in the presence of the rulers, elders and scribes of Jerusalem. Also present were Annas, the high priest; Caiaphas, Alexander and all the members of the high-priestly family. This event is recorded in Acts 4.

Speaking of Jesus, Peter said to them that day:  “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah. Those that day listening to Peter refused to believe. Tragically, many are still waiting for One who already has come.

How about you?

Do you believe Jesus is the Messiah; the One True God, come in the flesh?  Have you received Him into your life? Have you received the understanding He brings and the reconciliation He provides?

If not, would you like to today? Do you sense God touching your heart, calling you to Himself? Respond to Him.  Confess your belief in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

If you have previously confessed your belief in Christ, are you living the life He requires? Are you applying the understanding and growing in that understanding each day? Do you need to confess, repent, rededicate yourself to living as a Child of the King?